Removal of aqueous organic contaminants using submerged ceramic hollow fiber membrane coupled with peroxymonosulfate oxidation: Comparison of CuO catalyst dispersed in the feed water and immobilized on the membrane

CuO catalyst dispersed in the feed water (CDF) and CuO catalyst immobilized on the ceramic hollow fiber membrane (CIM) for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation were developed and employed in the submerged membrane filtration systems for drinking water treatment, respectively. The performance of the CDF and CIM systems was systematically investigated and compared. The result indicated that BPA concentration, PMS dosage and CuO content exerted much less influence on BPA degradation in the CIM system as compared with that in the CDF system. The CIM system exhibited a greater advantage in the performance of BPA degradation and TOC removal when treating a large volume of feed (>300 mL). In addition, the effect of actual water matrix on the two systems was evaluated. The CIM system showed higher resistance to the adverse influence and better anti-fouling performance than the CDF system. The comparative study on the performance of CDF and CIM systems provides meaningful information for developing the process of membrane filtration coupled with PMS oxidation.